Born and raised in South Central L.A. to Regina and Guy Bradford, Roby is the oldest of five children.

  Roby was a daddy's lil trooper and Guy was abusive to Regina and only treated her as a slave, punching bag, and sex toy.  Guy would always tell Roby and his other brothers that "All women are nothing but slaves and should only be used to produce babies, know how to cook and, have a prepared meal for when the man comes home from a hard days work, and if she so happens to jump out of place and tell the man they're wrong about something, she should be hit, if your satisfactions aren't met, hit her, she calls the cops on you for hitting her, make sure you give her a sound beating before the police arrive then go along silently.  When you get back from doing your time, beat her because she wasted your time by putting you in jail.  When you all get older to know what sex is, the best thing a woman can do is lay on her back and open her legs to you, if she doesn't want to and you want to, just take it! If she struggles, hit her, then give it to her harder until she gives in and accepts it.  Women are below men and thats the way of the world." 

  Roby and his brothers didn't like Guy beating on their mother but she never stepped forward to make any changes.  She's always called the police for domesic abuse but the police recommends her separating from him and get a restraining order and them going to court to would get custody of the boys and he was to get councilling so that he could make a change for himself, her and their childrens sake.  She made the escape and went to court for their children and the judge granted Regina joint custody of the boys and granting Guy supervised visits for Regina and the boys' safety.  Regina was happy that she got her boys and was out of Guy's abusive hands.

  A year has passed since the judge's ruling and Guy's been doing what he needed to be doing for his children, even attending anger management councilling courses.  Regina is happy that he's willing to make the change but she doesn't see her self getting back with him.  The boys, on the other hand, are getting adjusted to the change of Regina being in charge and supporting them, they hit her evey now and again whenever she tells them no about an idea or something they really want to do.  Roby saw it and didn't approve but at the same time he has his father reeling in his head.  Women are beneath men, but his Mama told him, "There is no one person bigger than anyone in this world, unless it in stature, even then, they too can be petty people."  Roby was confused about who to take the lesson from.  One day, he made his decision and when he saw one of his younger brothers hit his mother and he said "Don't hit her anymore unless you want me to hit you as hard and as much as you hit her!"  Regina was shocked that Roby came to her aid and took her side.  "Thank you, son." she said softly.  "I didn't like it when Daddy was doing it so why should I let my brothers continueto make the same mistake that Dad did?  Besides, I'm the 'man' of the house" he laughed and  Regina smiled, "I'm glad you saw it my way, son. and yes you are technically the man of the house but, all you need to do is keep your brothers in line for me, ok?"  "No worries Mama..it won't happen anymore."  He hugged his mother and she hugged him back.  "Very profound for an eight year old." She thought to her self but she was glad.

  Eight years have passed and everything's been great between Regina and the boys but, Guy was starting to slack off and coming later than he says he will, and he's being a lot more quiet than what he usually is, and this gave Regina an uneasy feel but she didn't really say anything about it.  One day, Guy was late, again, and this was making Regina impatient.   "He's late..where the hell can he be..?" Regina thought to herself and Roby, who was sixteen, was starting to get upset as well.  "Why is he always doing this, Mama?" "I don't know son. But he'll be here."  Guy arrived after an hour wearing some big, loose clothes which isn't like him at all..he usually wears tight shirts and pants to reveal his bodily features.  "What? Stopped showing your buldge to those other hussies in the streets?" "Must you hassle me everytime we meet? Just shut the fuck up for a change."  Roby stands up, "Don't talk to her like that." "Boy, do you not know who you're talking to? I'm your father not some random nigga on the street!" "Yeah, I know i'm talking to a piece of shit and a waste of God's time, effort, and talent.  I'll be damned if you're going to be talking to anyone like that while i'm in here!" "Boy, you better unsharpen that tongue of yours before I.." "Do what?!" Roby cut him off, "hit me dad?! Tell me i'm beneath you? Please do, so I will have a reason to beat some good sense into that fucked up head of yours!!!" Regina stands up to tell Roby to go to his room but, there was a loud bang and she falls to the floor with a pool of blood pouring out from her back and her body motionless and lifeless.  Roby kneels down and shakes his mother but no response, he looks up at his father holding a .45 aimed at him.  "Anymore talk from you about this homewrecking bitch, son? Or would you like to say something at her funeral? Or just maybe you'd wanna tell her face to face?"  Guy pointed the gun at roby, fear coursed through Roby's veins then his brothers all come from their rooms seeing wht the loud bang was and they see their mother on the floor dead.  They all started screaming and wailing and asking why he did what he did.  Guy smirked and said, "It was your brothers fault!  He killed her with his sharp tongue!" Thirteen year old Allen tells his father, " Thats nonsense, Dad!  A sharp tongue can land someone in danger but can't really kill anyone but, a gun can!  What the hell's come over you?" Another loud bang echoed throughout the house and young Allen was dead, then Charles, and Paul.  The only two left were twelve year old Jaimon and Roby.  Roby grabbed his brothers hand and ran into their room and they both climbed out the window and escaped.  Soon after they escaped their father, Guy took his own life by shooting himself in the mouth.  The two came back and saw the aftermath Roby called the police and kept his brother, who was shaken by the whole ordeal, close to him.  "Don't worry, Jai..I won't leave your side."  Jaimon clenched Roby's hand and the police took them both away but before Roby left the house he went and grabbed his mother's pair of shades from the car and put them on.  He decided to forget what has happened that day and in his past with the exception of his brother, and took on the name "Shadesz" to hide his sorrow from his past.  The spelling signifies how twisted everything had gotten and how horribly it ended.